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| | | Forums66 Topics128,036 Posts1,055,452 Members48,422 | | Most Online14,466 Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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#57373 03/04/2006 8:40 PM | Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 55 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 55 | Hello there , I've just registered and figured I'd start off with a newbie question , Ive just purchased a 5window 1/2ton chevy , not sure what year as I haven't had it dropped off yet , but I'm going to do an engine transplant (hence the question) I have a '62 Biscayne with a 235 in it with only 80k miles on it and other than replacing all gaskets & seals, new valve stem seals and a new oil pump I was thinking of just leaving it alone , it hadn't been on the road since '85 and only started a couple of times since , I ran it for about 15 minutes last year and it fired right up and seemed to run great except for the smoke (valve stem seals , I'm guessing) but I'm going to check the compression when it warms up a bit outside. My plan is to do the truck all original except for the color , I'm thinking a cream body w/ navy blue fenders/runningboards and engine , 12V conversion and the engine itself, which I would like to tweek with an Offenhauser dual intake , and of course one of their finned Aluminum valve covers as well (I know its more show than go but they look soooo purty)with navy blue in the little valleys between the fins.
Anyways , getting a bit long winded here , so any opinions on leaving the engine alone or not or anything else would be very welcome and thank you in advance | | |
#57374 03/04/2006 8:54 PM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 975 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 975 | Welcome to the stovebolt page.
I would leave it. That's what I am going to do to my 216 that slept for 25-30 years. It does not use oil so...what the heck. I don't plan on heavy use and will put the money somewhere else for now. | | |
#57375 03/04/2006 9:42 PM | Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 439 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 439 | Welcome PNR123!
Congradulations on the purchase! Where abouts are you in Alberta? We are getting better and better represented on the Stovebolt Page. As you will soon find out, we love pictures! If you have any we want to see them! Best of Luck! Sorry, can't really help with your question.
Colin | | |
#57376 03/04/2006 10:18 PM | Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 395 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 395 | I like your idea,,go with it... | | |
#57377 03/05/2006 1:28 AM | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 Bolter | | Bolter Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 | like they say, it is your truck, do what you feel best with,, Redryder pixMy HotrodA veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of "up to and including my life."I am fighting cancer and I am winning the fight | Pain is part of life; misery is an option. | | |
#57378 03/05/2006 2:14 AM | Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 69 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 69 | PNR123 Welcome to stovebolts, lots of good guys here. You may want to change the rings, after 20 years they would be brittle and would probably brake in the future. Then you will need new gaskets again.
New deal for old steel
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#57379 03/05/2006 4:04 AM | Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 55 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 55 | Colin I am about 20km outside of Cowtown.
Barney I had thought about it and was also wondering what exactly is the difference between cast ,plain and chrome rings , is it just material hardness? or is there more to it?
thanks for opinions so far , more are very welcome | | |
#57380 03/05/2006 5:41 AM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,733 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,733 | All piston rings (compression) start life as castings. Chrome rings wear much more slowly but often take longer to seat (seal) against the wall. IMHO the older engines like non-chrome rings but others are sure to disagree.. they always do.  | | |
#57381 03/05/2006 6:04 AM | Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 55 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 55 | Originally posted by 53moneypit: .........others are sure to disagree.. they always do. So , I'm just guessing here that we should leave alone the subjects of ; oil , fuel , tires , paint , religion , sports , politics , etc.? | | |
#57382 03/05/2006 6:36 AM | Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 199 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 199 | Welcome PNR123, sounds like you are getting a real nice truck. Concratulations!!!!
If the 235 is still in the car I would for sure start it and check the compression on all the cylinders, do both a dry and wet test.
That should give you a good idea of the present condition.
The 235 as you know is one of the best and toughest engines ever built and with only 80k miles I personally would not be to concerned.
Hobert
"The Lord is my shepherd"
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#57383 03/05/2006 6:43 AM | Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 439 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 439 | Originally posted by PNR123: Colin I am about 20km outside of Cowtown. oh, another one of them guys.  :p | | |
#57384 03/05/2006 5:12 PM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 975 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 975 | PNR 123,
Many have told me that if I do something like rings without re-doing the valves, I am asking for trouble. When I used to mess with small engines, I heard the same thing. If you "fix" the bottom end, it changes the stress on the top end and the top end will fail/have issues. I don't know if it is true, but I don't have the money to find out.
Unless you find a reason, I would run the rings as is for now. With my engine laying on the garage floor, it is tempting to have the head re-worked. I don't have the money to do the bottom end too. Like I said above, I am leaving as is because it all works right now. | | |
#57385 03/07/2006 3:40 AM | Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 324 Member | | Member Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 324 | 62 is a nice full presure engine, no dipers on rods. But if you take it down to change oil pump and gaskets why not go at least to check the crank and rod bearing condition. A set of inserts wouldn't be much more after buying a gasket set.
"It ain't a truck if you can't hose out the cab."
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#57386 03/07/2006 3:43 AM | Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 324 Member | | Member Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 324 | It is usually fix the valves and have trouble with lower end. also oil burning is often related to worn rod bearings throwing too much oil on the cylinder walls.
"It ain't a truck if you can't hose out the cab."
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